A Path To Call My Own
by rain-shimmer
Summary: A Fairy Tail Laxus/Lucy fan fiction about self-discovery, love, and heartbreak. Rated M for future chapters (lemons, violence, language). Reviews/comments/criticism are welcome! FYI, this is a new, revised version of my story (titled "Say Something"), with a whole new title to go with it. Enjoy! ***Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:**

 _Hello everyone! I welcome all of my old readers from "Say Something" to my newly refined version of the story, and to all of my new readers, thanks so much for stopping by!_

 _Just so you're all aware... Most full sentences written in italics will be Lucy's thoughts, but I'll also write a specific character's name at the start of each chapter just to clarify the POV you'll be reading from._

 _I'm a part-time employee, and a full-time student so I'll only be able to update when I have the extra time. Please be patient! I'll also make it a priority to have each chapter at LEAST 2, 500 words or more._

 _Thanks again for checking out my story! Reviews/comments are welcome!_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

* * *

 **~Lucy's POV~**

"Jeez it's hot out", Lucy groaned, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and carefully leaving two wide strands to hang loose at either side of her face. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with one hand and fanned her face with the other in a feeble attempt to cool off.

Lucy took a deep breath and exhaled, the moist summer breeze carrying with it the soothing hum of nearby cicadas.

"Pluhh pluhh!" Plue chortled cheerfully. He walked side by side with his master as they made their way down a quiet street in downtown Magnolia. His white face started to sag dramatically as if the setting sun had somehow melted him.

Even at dusk the summer temperatures were uncomfortably warm in the area.

"Well, that last job wasn't too bad, but I wish the reward had been bigger", Lucy put her hands behind her head and frowned. "I have to pay rent in a few weeks."

" _Pluhh!"_ Plue raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief.

Lucy sweat-dropped and scratched her cheek bashfully, "Yeah, I probably could have put that reward money to better use…" She glanced down, admiring the newly purchased crystal bracelet that was clipped around her wrist. "But I didn't spend it _all._ And besides, I couldn't just walk away from a sale like that!"

Plue tilted his head with uncertainty.

They passed several craft tables and food stands as they continued down the street, but there were very few people out and about this late in the day. Everyone had closed up for the night or were making preparations for new business opportunities tomorrow.

The blonde mage gazed up at the magenta evening sky which was now carpeted with an array of distant stars.

 _'It's nice going out on my own_. _I don't feel as useless when I'm forced to fend for myself. I'm gonna take on any and all opportunities to expand my magic abilities and grow as a wizard.'_

Lucy turned to look down at the little dog and smiled, "Working solo with my spirits was really fun."

"Pluh! Pluh!" Plue chortled, waving his arms about in approval.

Chuckling, she continued, "And it was nice earning the full reward. Whenever I take a job with Natsu, we always end up spending more than we make with all the collateral damage... I don't think he can go on a mission without destroying _something_."

The blonde mage leaned down to stroke Plue's drooping head, "Next time I'll pick an even tougher job for us." Then, with great enthusiasm, she thrust a fist into the air, "And of course a tougher job means a _better reward_!" Lucy giggled maniacally, drawing frightened stares from an older couple that passed her by on their evening stroll.

By now, the street lights flickered on as the last remaining sunlight took refuge behind the surrounding mountains.

The little dog yawned, his eyes fluttering sleepily.

Lucy put her arms out and stretched, exposing her toned midriff to the humidity that enveloped them. "Yeah, I'm tired too. My magic stocks are running on empty… Let's say goodnight for now. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Pluhh!" Plue waved goodbye to his master and disappeared in a cloud of rippling gold.

Lucy continued on her own, turning a corner where the local buildings cast a great shadow on the route that would take her home. An eerie silence consumed the dark path that she followed, that is until her stomach began to growl obnoxiously. She cringed and rubbed her belly reassuringly.

 _'I guess I didn't eat much today. I'll make some dinner when I get home.'_

Lucy's mind wandered to the fridge and pantry in her apartment and she wrinkled her nose while sorting through her memory of their contents. After a minute or two, she groaned and dropped her head to her chest in disappointment.

"I forgot to go buy groceries on the way back! Stupid jewelry sale…" She glared at her bracelet and sighed heavily. "Ugh, it's my own fault. I seriously need to start prioritizing! I'm not going to get anywhere in life without setting some solid ground rules for myself." She smiled, feeling determined.

 _'Discipline, Lucy. Discipline!'_

"Annnd, I'll start _tomorrow_ …" she whispered to herself, chuckling.

 _'Apparently procrastination is one more thing I need to tackle.'_

"Hey there!" a husky voice called, pulling the mage from her reverie. "Who ya talkin' to, baby?"

Stopping in her tracks, Lucy turned her head to see three suspicious looking men following behind her. Her body tensed and she started walking again, but this time at a much swifter pace. The three men grunted at her dismissal and started jogging to catch up to her.

She whipped around to face them when she heard their hurried footsteps, "Please leave me alone. Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"Woah, little lady… There's no need to be rude", a man with a dark five'o clock shadow grumbled as they approached.

A second man with a shaved head and dangerously green eyes decided to speak up, "You're a _babe_. What's your name?"

Lucy clenched her jaw in annoyance.

"How about you come with us. We'll show you a good time", invited the third, tallest man. This one was lanky and wore a florescent orange bandana wrapped around his moppy mess of hair. He held his hand out to her in a pathetic attempt to be chivalrous, but she blatantly refused.

"What do you _want_?" Lucy demanded. She started slowly walking backwards as the three thugs inched closer and closer to her, snickering amongst themselves. "I don't have any money! So you can just—"

"We don't want your money, sweetheart", the bald man interrupted. "We just want to talk, that's all."

Lucy's heart rate began to quicken when she realized that they were herding her into a dark alleyway in the corner of the block.

 _'Grow some balls, Lucy! You're a wizard, the least you can do is act like one!'_

"Sorry, but I try not to make a habit of mingling with perverts", she stated with a venomous glare.

The scruffy man scowled at her, "Listen bitch, what gives you the right to call us perverts?" He pushed past his comrades to point a finger at her in accusation.

A visible shiver rolled up Lucy's spine, but she somehow mustered the courage to give a shrewd retort, "Anyone who has to corner a girl to get her to talk to them is either a total loser or a pervert. So which one are you guys?" She hoped that her false confidence would discourage them from pursuing her, but it only riled them up more.

"Oh _really?_ " the bald man barked. He worked his way towards her, his two friends in tow. All three of them had twisted, psychotic expressions on their faces.

"I like 'em feisty", the tall one said, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Back off!" Lucy's brow furrowed and she reached down for her keys on instinct. "I'm _warning_ you!"

By now, the three men were but a mere three feet from the celestial mage. She tried to back further away from them but found her body pinned up against a dead-end wall.

Lucy thrust a key in their direction and braced herself, "Open, gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"

Nothing happened; not a flicker of golden celestial magic to be seen.

Gasping, a terrified Lucy was left with the stark realization that she was completely defenseless. She trembled and slouched over in shock.

 _'That's right… I used up my magic. Now what do I do?'_

Lucy began to panic, staring wide-eyed at her feet in silence. She'd have probably been able to hold her own against one enemy, but there was no way that she could fight off all three of them at once.

"Was that supposed to scare us?" Bandana man scoffed. They all chuckled rudely, but Lucy didn't reply.

"Naw, man. I think she was giving us the key to her apartment", the bald man proposed with a devious grin. Suddenly, he was right beside her, his face only inches from her ear. "You want to invite us into your bedroom, don't you, hot stuff?" he whispered suggestively.

At this point Lucy's entire body was shaking and she couldn't help but whimper slightly. He grabbed a lock of her hair, bringing it to his nose and inhaled deeply. She grimaced and turned her head to the side in disgust.

"You know, I've always had a thing for blondes…" the bald man cooed, his startling green eyes taking in all of her feminine curves.

Lucy shuddered as he slowly traced a finger from the base of her jaw and down her neckline. This was it; this single moment would inevitably lead to a brutal gang bang or worse. She'd heard stories about this kind of violence on lacrima TV, but she couldn't have guessed that it would happen to _her._ After all, she was never this careless. Unless your body was a mass of muscle like Elfman or Laxus, it was basic wizard knowledge that one must rest and recharge regularly in order to put up a good defense.

"So you like blondes, huh?" a rumbling voice came from above them.

Lucy and the thugs all looked up at the rooftop behind her. There, in the light of the rising moon stood Laxus, his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. "What about _me_? You feel like 'talking' to me too?" His fur-trimmed jacket flapped gently in the night wind as sparks began crackling around his body.

Mr. Green eyes blinked in surprise before scowling at the intruder, "Who are you, her boyfriend?"

Lucy's face flushed and Laxus cocked an eyebrow, "No, I'm just a good Samaritan. Now, I'm pretty sure I asked you punks a question." The crackle of powerful lightning magic grew louder with his impatience.

Scruffy and bandana man started backing away from Lucy and Laxus, trembling as they did so. "We don't want any trouble!" they shouted in unison.

Laxus disregarded them and pressed on, glaring at the speechless bald man, _"Well?"_ The sparks grew brighter and wider around Laxus' well-built figure. "Answer me or _leave."_ The dragon-slayer didn't like to be kept waiting and he growled irritably.

Finally, baldy smirked up at Laxus, "I'm not going anywhere until I get what I came for…"He leaned into Lucy's neck for a succulent kiss, his one hand preparing to make a grab at her left breast.

 **BOOM!**

In a split second, all three men were ensnared by lighting, each of them screaming and writhing in pain.

Lucy placed a hand to her chest and started to hyperventilate. Laxus had perfect timing, quite literally shocking them just milliseconds before the hoodlum could lay a hand or his lips on her.

Laxus appeared in front of her in a flash of light. "Are you alright?" he asked in monotone.

Without making eye contact, she caught her breath and nodded, "Yeah, I think so."

The two of them hadn't actually conversed before and she immediately felt awkward. When she first joined the guild, he was an enemy, but he had since redeemed himself and proved his loyalty to Fairy Tail during the Grand Magic Games when he avenged her teammates. It was during that week that they had communicated for the very first time, even if it was only a few words in passing.

Laxus looked down at her to verify that she was, in fact, unscathed. Lucy blushed furiously as she followed his eyes wander up and down her body.

"I'll take you home", said the dragon-slayer. He urged her to walk ahead of him and she obliged.

The thugs were twitching in obscure, unnatural positions on the ground as smoke billowed from their comically charred bodies.

 _'Hah! I think now is as good a time as ever to teach them a lesson about karma.'_

Lucy glared down at the bald one as they passed, "How do you like blondes _now_?" She swung her leg back and kicked him full-force in the crotch.

He let out a girlish squeal and grabbed his private parts in agony.

"If you or your friends _ever_ come at me again, I'll be forced to reintroduce you to my foot." She smoothed out her skirt before heading out of the alley. "Assholes..."

From the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Laxus smirking and she turned her back to him in annoyance.

 _'Tsk. What's his problem?'_

When she was out of the alley, Lucy felt a muscular arm snake its way around her shoulders. "What the—" she started before Laxus interrupted, "Close your eyes, blondie."

His tone was assertive but not unkind. She looked up and to her right to see the dragon-slayer towering over her, his gaze fixed straight ahead of them. Lucy trembled at the warmth of her body pressed up against his and her face flickered crimson.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked nervously.

With a sigh, Laxus continued, "Do you want to go home or not?"

She glanced nervously from side to side in uncertainty.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you", he assured her, squeezing her shoulder ever so gently.

Lucy smiled weakly and nodded. She followed his instructions and shut her eyes, but her ears painted a mental image of their changing surroundings. She could hear the hot white electricity crackling, a tickling static sensation itching beneath her skin as the energy around them grew in intensity.

 _'What's happening?'_

"Here we go", the dragon-slayer mumbled.

She was about to comment when an overwhelming pressure crashed onto her tiny frame and left her speechless.

 **BOOM!**

* * *

Within seconds, Lucy dropped to her hands and knees, groaning. "W-What did you do?" She opened her eyes to look up at her rescuer.

He smiled mischievously and folded his arms across his chest in a pompous manner.

She curled her lip as an indication of her annoyance, so he gestured in front of her with the slight nod of his head. She followed his gaze to see that they were not twenty feet from the doorstep of her apartment building.

 _'Wow. He really does travel at lightning speed.'_

Lucy gasped and pulled herself up from the ground. "You really know how to impress a girl", she said, looking over at him with eyes wide in surprise.

Laxus gave her a lecherous grin and winked, "in more ways than one."

"And you're disgusting", she added flatly, shooting him dirty look as she dusted herself off.

Shrugging, he chuckled, "That's a matter of opinion."

She rolled her eyes and started to walk away from him.

 _'What an insensitive jerk! I was almost assaulted tonight! I don't need to hear that shit.'_

Lucy stopped in her tracks when she heard him clear his throat and continue speaking, "Sorry… Force of habit. So… Are you going to be okay?"

With her back still turned to him, Lucy cracked an appreciative smile, "I'll be fine."

 _'Woah. Laxus Dreyar just apologized to me. Haha, I bet no one would believe me if I told them.'_

Suddenly, it occurred to her that she hadn't even thanked the man for rescuing her and she mentally scolded herself for being ignorant.

"Listen, Laxus… Thank you for—"

 **BOOM!**

"—saving me…" she finished, whipping around just in time to see a flicker of white lightning shoot towards the heavens.

 _'Where'd he go?'_

Two buildings over, the dragon-slayer stood on a rooftop watching the astonished celestial mage stand alone for a moment before heading indoors to her apartment.

"Goodnight, blondie", he mumbled, straight-faced before turning to make his own way home.

 **BOOM!**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:**

 _Hi guys! Sooo sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been reworking the old story "Say Something", and have been trying to make it into something better, stronger, more emotional. Hope you all like it!_

 _Pretty please let me know what you think/ what you liked about this chapter. I love hearing from you! Oh, and also something new... Flashbacks are introduced in chapter two! Please note that they will be written in bold italix._

 _A big shout out to my beta reader kurahieiritr JIO: Thanks for helping me polish this chapter. It means a lot!_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

 **~Lucy's POV~**

Once she was inside her apartment, Lucy placed her spirit keys on the nightstand and fell backwards onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, mentally reviewing what had just taken place.

"What a night", she breathed.

' _I wonder how Laxus knows where I live. Maybe he was following me too.'_

She shook her head and scoffed at her own thoughts.

' _Nah, Laxus can be a creep, but I don't think he's the stalker type. I'm always ranting and raving about the B &E's at my place, so I wouldn't be surprised if he—or anyone else for that matter—figured out where I live by now.'_

The blonde rolled her eyes and chuckled at the all-to-familiar image of Natsu, Gray, Happy and Erza making themselves comfortable in _her_ living room before she herself had made it home.

' _Well, at least Wendy and Carla have the courtesy to knock.'_

In her pensive state Lucy's mind wandered back to the man that rescued her and a very particular memory of him resurfaced. It was from her first few days as a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail.

~Flashback~ (in bold italix)

 _ **She was sitting at a table in the corner of the guild hall talking with new friends when she heard a booming voice coming from the second floor. Lucy looked over and saw Laxus towering over a rather aggravated Master Makarov. The dragon-slayer vented heavily and made no effort to keep their conversation private.**_

" _ **Fairy Tail used to be something great, but you've let this place go to the dogs, old man", the dragon-slayer spat, pointing a finger at his grandfather in accusation. "And now it's nothing more than a guild full of pathetic weaklings unworthy of calling themselves wizards."**_

 _ **Lucy was more than a little surprised to witness someone so vindictive towards his comrades, as everyone else she'd met from the guild had shown her nothing but kindness.**_

~End Flashback~

Lucy's brow furrowed and she nibbled her bottom lip with uncertainty.

' _I know he's not THAT person anymore, but still… Why would Laxus waste his time saving someone weak like me?'_

She rolled onto her side, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

' _Ugh! How could I have been so stupid?! I knew I was running on empty after that last job, but I pressed on anyways and willingly threw myself into a nightmare situation that could have destroyed me. And of course one of Fairy Tail's strongest had to come to my rescue. UNlucky Lucy Heartfilia strikes again! God, I'm sick and tired of this crap!'_

As an image of Laxus and his signature smirk flickered amidst her thoughts, she scrambled to grab a pillow to hide her face in shame.

' _How humiliating…'_

Just then, she shot up in her bed, eyes wide and nostrils flared as something else came to her attention.

' _That asshole from the alley TOUCHED me! FUCK!'_

Groaning, she tilted her head from side to side before hauling herself out of bed and towards the bathroom.

After closing the door behind her, she started running the hot water in the shower and slipped out of her clothes, hopping back and forth between feet as she pulled off her skirt and tights.

When she untied her ponytail, Lucy's locks fell over her shoulders in beautiful waves of gold.

After staring wearily at her reflection in the mirror, Lucy finally abandoned post, drew back the shower curtains and stepped into the tub. The hot water crashed down on her back, harsh and unforgiving like the men that attacked her earlier that night.

 _'I can still feel that pervert's hand on me... Maybe if I stand here long enough, I'll boil myself clean. People use hot water to sterilize stuff all the time, right?'_

She cracked a weak smile, but it vanished almost as soon as it appeared **.** Then, working her soap into a lather, Lucy washed her body to freshen up her tired skin.

After a few moments of self-reflection, she stopped and balled her hands into fists, her jaw clenched.

' _It's not like I've never been creeped on before. I mean, I'm used to having men hit on me, but I've never been in a situation where I couldn't hold my own… Jeez, if Natsu had just been with me, like he ALWAYS has been, then none of this would have even happened. Ugh... But that's really not the root of the problem, is it? I've always relied on him to back me up and protect me, should things ever make a turn for the worse.'_

Lucy grabbed the shampoo bottle and squeezed a sizeable amount into her palm.

 _'Laxus got to play the hero tonight instead of Natsu... THAT was definitely unexpected, not to mention totally out of my comfort zone. But, he DID save my sorry ass, so I guess that's all that matters.'_

She scrubbed her scalp vigorously, closing her eyes to recall the nightmarish event.

~Flashback~ [in bold italix]

 _ **The group's repulsive leader**_ _ **stared at Lucy's body with hungry eyes, his nearby companions just as lustful as he. She watched him lick his lips as he took her hair between his fingers, and inhaled her feminine scent.**_ **  
**  
Lucy started scrubbing harder as the memory refreshed and grew more vivid.

 _ **The bald man's hot breath brushing against Lucy's ear made a shiver roll up her spine. When he leaned away momentarily, Lucy thought she might be okay. But she was wrong. He cracked a sadistic grin, and reached in to stroke Lucy's neckline with his dry calloused fingers, as he snickered at her obvious discomfort.**_

~End Flashback~

Lucy stopped, her hands still knitted amongst her soapy mess of hair. She opened her eyes slowly and parted her lips as if she were about to speak. Reminiscing brought the reality crashing into her without warning: it was a short-lived experience, but she had been absolutely terrified, and more so than she'd ever been in her life.

Her eyes glossed over with unshed tears that threatened to fall at a moment's notice, so she turned around to rinse her face as if this small feat would convince her body to get ahold of itself. She stood motionless for a while, just letting the water hit her face until she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears streamed down her cheeks, hardly noticeable amongst the hundreds of water droplets that showered over her naked body.

With an uncontrollable gasp of defeat, Lucy crouched down to the bathtub floor, pulling her legs up close to her body so she could rest her head on her knees. She wiped the salt water from her eyes and chuckled dryly.

' _Look at me. I'm a mess! Guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I'll just have to work harder to overcome my weaknesses, both spiritual and physical.'_

She lifted her head up and her expression relaxed.

' _I'm am SO over this 'damsel in distress' thing.'_

 **BAM! BAM! BAM!**

Lucy flinched as the sound of someone banging on the front door reverberated through her apartment.

"Luce! It's Natsu and Happy!" a voice hollered.

'They're here! _Annnd they're using the **front door**? What the hell?'_

"Let yourselves in!" she called back, welcoming the familiarity of their company. "I'll be out in a minute!"

They definitely caught her at a bad time, but Lucy was more than happy to abandon dark thoughts so she could visit with her two closest friends.

"Aye!" Happy replied.

She heard the front door click open and shut.

Sighing, Lucy wiped her eyes again, reluctantly got to her feet and turned the off the water.

Pulling back the shower curtains, Lucy revelled in the white cloak of steam that filled room and kept her warm.

On the bathmat, she threw the towel over her head to tousle-dry her hair. Lucy rustled her hands through the cotton fabric and braced her leg on the tub to dry off when she felt the sudden chill of cold air brush over her damp body. She paused to investigate and heard giggling coming from behind her.

She turned her head to see a small blue cat with both paws covering his mouth as he snickered at her expense.

"Happy", Lucy mumbled. The exceed's unexpected appearance left her momentarily and uncharacteristically indifferent considering her lack of dress.

"Lucy is naaaaked!" he teased.

She put her leg back down and noticed the bathroom door was wide open. "You sure snuck in here quietly."

"That's because we're _ninjas_!" hissed Natsu from the other room. Before she could respond, he had poked his head around the corner with his scarf wrapped around his face in ninja cosplay.

The apartment fell silent and the two mages blinked at each other for a moment until Lucy remembered that she was stark naked.

" _GET OUT!"_ the blonde screamed, grabbing Happy by the tail and flinging him at Natsu's surprised face. Slamming the door behind her Lucy seethed, her face flush and hot.

' _What is WRONG with him?! He's seen me naked more times than I have keys, and he's not even my boyfriend! That's all kinds of messed up.'_

When she had collected herself, Lucy wrapped the damp towel around her waist and breasts before opening the bathroom door once again. She glanced around the room and saw two shaking figures in a lump under the blankets on her bed.

"Stay there!" she barked irritably. "I'm getting changed, so unless you have a death wish I suggest that both of you remain where you are until I say otherwise."

"Aye sir!" Happy and Natsu whispered in unison, their voices trembling.

Lucy shook her head and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear along with a plain tank top and some pajama shorts. When she was decent, she took a seat at the desk and turned her body towards the culprits, "You can come out now."

In a split second, both of them were at her knees, begging for forgiveness.

"We're sorry Lucy!" Happy cried.

Lucy rolled her eyes and signalled for them to get up from the floor. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

' _Fat chance.'_

As he stood up, Natsu tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her, "What kind of weirdo goes and struts around their house naked, anyways?"

"You mean _besides_ Gray", giggled the cat.

Natsu burst out laughing, but quickly stopped when Lucy leaned forward and grabbed his cheek.

"OWW!"

She pinched him pretty hard, feeling mildly dejected by his absence and lack of heroics earlier in the alley. But, if she was being honest, what irked her most was the fact that _Natsu_ walked in on _her_ and then had the audacity to mock her for being naked in her own apartment!

"The kind of person that was enjoying a _nice_ shower before being interrupted by her so-called friends", she replied irritably.

' _Is he really that naïve?'_

When she let his face go, the dragon-slayer took a step back and jumped up on her bed. He pouted while he rubbed his swollen cheek.

"Hey! That hurt ya know!" he whined.

"Then stop making a habit of creeping on me at the _worst possible times_!"

Natsu grumbled to himself but perked up when Happy took a seat next to him on the bed.

"So how was your trip? Did the job work out alright?" asked Lucy in a poor attempt to change the subject.

She wasn't sure why she bothered asking such a silly question. Natsu had a knack for creating mayhem and breaking things, but he always got the job done, no matter what the task.

"It was good!" the dragon-slayer answered. "We had to beat up on some guys to get what we wanted, but it wasn't problem for the three of us!" He grinned from ear to ear.

"Lisanna transformed into a giant spider beast thing" the cat chirped in. "It was _sooo_ gross!"

Natsu started laughing again and he slapped his knee enthusiastically, "Lucy, I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces! Those morons from the dark guild had no idea what was coming! Actually, neither did I for that matter..."

Happy snorted, "They totally peed themselves and everything!"

The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Seriously?"

"Oh, we're serious", Natsu replied bitterly, his cheery face disappearing altogether. He pointed to his nose and continued, "Trust me, a dragon-slayer couldn't mistake that smell for anything else."

"Wow." Lucy didn't know what else to say.

Natsu nodded, "Yeah."

The blue exceed raised a paw to the air as a point of conversation came to mind. "Man, it was so funny when Lisanna….."

Lucy smiled and listened as her friends reminisced about their most recent job, their voices and laughter fading into an unintelligible murmur as her thoughts began to wander.

 _'These guys... I didn't realize how much I missed them 'til now. I'm glad they stopped by to visit.'_

After what seemed like an hour, Lucy heard her name amongst the chatter and looked up to see two pairs of eyes staring at her with concern.

"Are we boring you?" Natsu asked. He raised his eyebrows with uncertainty.

"No, not at all!" Lucy chortled, waving a hand at him in apology. "I was just thinking… It's so good to see you guys! It felt like I was out of town for more than a week."

"Really? My week went by fast. Kinda feels like we just left yesterday."

The blonde smiled, "Well, time _is_ notorious for flying by when you're in good company. I'm glad that the three of you had a chance to really rekindle your friendship. It must have been nostalgic."

Natsu grinned and scratched the back of his head, "I have no idea what that means, but it was definitely a good time all around!"

"Lisanna is awesome!" added Happy, jumping into flight excitedly.

Lucy spoke, "I haven't really had a chance to get acquainted with her, but I've heard and seen things for myself and she seems really sweet."

"Yeah, she is…" Natsu hummed. Lucy had only seen Natsu blush once or twice before, but she was pretty sure this would count as the third as his mind was consumed with thoughts of the take-over mage.

Lucy got up from the chair and clapped her hands together, bringing him back to reality. "Well then… I guess she and I need to make some girl time so we can get to know each other better!"

Happy's tail flicked about excitedly, "Can I come to?"

" _Girl_ time, Happy?" the blonde repeated as a not-so-subtle hint of his intended exclusion.

The cat continued to stare at her in anticipation.

Lucy sighed and sweat-dropped, "Yikes. You might be even more clueless than your counterpart over there." She gestured to Natsu with her thumb.

The dragon-slayer took notice and got up from the bed, placing his hands on his hips as an illustration of his annoyance, "Woah! What did you call me?!"

"Calm down, I wasn't insulting you", the celestial mage replied, putting a hand up to quiet him. "Honestly, would it hurt you to pick up a dictionary?"

"Are you kidding!? I'm a dragon-slayer! A book is child's play for someone with my level of skills!" He then proceeded to walk over to Lucy's bookshelf and lift the entire piece of furniture up over his head.

"Natsu is _super_ strong!" Happy cheered.

Lucy's jaw dropped at this gross misunderstanding and she started yelling at him frantically, "I wasn't questioning your strength, dummy! I meant _read_ , expand your vocabulary, and possibly educate yourself. Jeez."

He tilted his head and stared at her with a blank expression on his face. "Oh."

"Now will you please put that down?"

Natsu was about to drop the bookshelf when Lucy quickly hissed, "Gently!"

She _really_ didn't want to sit and listen to the landlady gripe about how noisy she was.

Rolling his eyes, the dragon-slayer placed the furniture onto the floor without making a sound.

 _'I don't know if my heart can handle any more stress tonight!'_

Lucy shook her head and sighed, "So... It's getting pretty late. I think I'm going to—"

"Say no more!" Natsu cut in. He plucked Happy from the bed and tucked him under his arm before opening the front door of Lucy's apartment to leave. "We'll head out now. Have a good night, Luce! See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Bye!" Lucy called after them down the stairs. "And next time, use the window! A change in routine is gonna throw me off!"

"Aye!"

Lucy smiled and locked the door behind her.

She brushed a hand through her hair and sauntered over to her bed where she plopped onto the mattress, exhaling deeply.

' _As if it were possible, I'm actually more tired now than I was **before** they stopped by. They're so full of energy! But after a day like today, I need to just clear my head and get some shut eye.'_

Tehn, pulling back the covers, Lucy climbed into bed, cocooning herself in blankets and closed her eyes with the hopes of falling into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

_**A/N:** _

_Hey guys and gals! Thanks so much for the reviews! Here's the revised version of Chapter Three! Hope you all like. Please let me know what you think or what you enjoyed most about this chapter. I love hearing what you think! Another shout out to_ kurahieiritr JIO for being the best beta reader ever!

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

 **~Lucy's POV~**

Lucy shifted in the mess of blankets on her bed, the crippling stab of hunger pains having woken her from her slumber.

'I guess even a _fter everything that happened last night, I **still** didn't get anything to eat.'_

With a heavy sigh, the blonde shrugged off the covers and got up from her bed with a conspicuous lack of enthusiasm. She sauntered towards the kitchen and opened the fridge to find that its only contents were a bottle of ketchup and a _dangerously_ old casserole that the landlady had made her some time ago.

' _Practically_ _empty_ _, just like my stomach.'_

She chuckled dryly, a groggy state of indifference sweeping over her. Still, the celestial mage stared blankly into the open fridge as if waiting patiently for food to magically appear.

 _'Food-make magic, now that would definitely come in handy. Especially since Natsu and Happy constantly eat me out of house and home…'_

After a few unproductive minutes of staring off into space, the brisk chill of the open fridge brought her back to reality and Lucy gently pushed the door shut with her fingertips.

' _Whatever, I'll just eat at the guild.'_

She walked over to the bathroom where she took significantly less time than normal to clean up as per her morning routine **.** Running a brush through her tangled hair, Lucy wandered over to her dresser. While brushing out the last snarls of her mane she rifled through the drawers with her free hand and yanked out the first few things she touched: a pink halter top and a pair of jean shorts.

Once she was dressed, the blonde grabbed her precious keys from the nightstand and fastened them to her belt, giving them a good shake to be sure that they were secure. With her flip-flops on, Lucy locked her front door and left the apartment building to head towards the guild and some much needed sustenance.

* * *

The moment she pulled the guild doors open, Lucy's ears perked up at the familiar sound of her teammates squabbling in the corner. She watched them, smiling briefly before she turned her attention to the bar where Laxus sat eating breakfast by himself. His headphones were on and his eyes were closed, but it did not hinder his ability to pick the food off his plate. Lucy glanced back at her comrades, biting her lip anxiously. Elfman, Lisanna and Juvia were sitting with her team at a table in the far corner.

' _Ugh, I am SO not looking forward to talking about my mission. I won't be able to keep what happened last night a secret for long... Not with Erza scrutinizing every word that comes out of my mouth.'_

Lucy watched the redhead jump from her seat to point a jagged sword at the throats of both Natsu and Gray. The duo were sparring moments before she brought out her sword, probably bickering over something trivial and stupid. Lucy shook her head in fond exasperation. Now was not the time to dish about her mission because Erza was likely to let her irritation with the boys rule her judgement.

' _Yeah. I think I'll postpone that conversation a bit longer so she can calm down. Convincing them that I was ready for a solo mission a few weeks ago was hard enough. I really don't want to have Erza breathing down my neck to make certain I'm always protected. It's not like I screwed up that bad… I was doing fine up until my walk home at the end of the day. I'll go talk to Laxus first. I have to thank him anyways.'_

Lucy swallowed hard before she casually strolled over to the bar and planted herself on a stool next to Laxus.

"What can I get for you, Lucy?" greeted Mirajane cheerfully as she made her way towards the blonde.

"Umm…" Lucy paused for a moment and looked over at Laxus, who speared a sausage and continued to feast as if he were still alone. She didn't even see what was on his plate but the sausage smelled amazing so she blurted out, "I'll have whatever he's having and a chocolate banana smoothie please."

Mirajane's eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, my! You must have quite the appetite! You sure you can handle a slayer sized plate?"

"Slayer sized?" Lucy asked as she took a closer look at the meal the dragon-slayer was eating.

There, in front of Laxus, sat a monstrous display of food that swallowed the dish it was served on.

"Holy _shit!_ There's a small grocery store on his plate! Who _eats_ that much?!" Lucy's head swiveled back to the bar-maid in disbelief as Laxus' shoulder shook with silent laughter. He pulled his headphones down to rest on his shoulder blades.

Then, thumb pointing towards his chest, Laxus answered on a snickering breath, "Dragon-slayer, Blondie."

Lucy smacked a hand to her forehead. "How silly of me! Guess the lack of flying food around here helped me forget that little detail. As if your appetite would differ from that of Natsu or Gajeel. It must be a male dragon-slayer thing, because I've never seen Wendy eat in all the time I've known her."

Mirajane smiled, "Wendy usually has her meals delivered to her room at Fairy Hills, Lucy. The poor thing is too embarrassed to be seen eating so much food."

The blonde's jaw dropped. "Whoa! So she eats like Natsu?!"

Laxus cleared his throat to get her attention, "Hold on, don't lump me and Wendy in with Natsu. We don't _all_ eat like savages, ya know. In fact, between him and the metal head, a pig has better table manners." He had his fork pointed in Lucy's direction and for a moment their eyes met. It was awkward, to be sure, but for the first time she noticed how exquisitely blue his eyes were. But, when he turned to spear another sausage, Lucy looked away, completely turned off by his brutish demeanor.

"So, you're saying it was the luck of the draw that teamed me up with a pig and his cat?" she joked, waving her hand in her team's direction.

Giggling, the take-over mage moved to redirect the subject, "I make the number seven meal in small, medium and large sizes, Lucy. If you're really hungry, then the medium should be plenty enough for you."

"Sounds good to me. Thanks, Mira." Lucy agreed absently; mind focused on figuring out how to talk to Laxus about the previous night. The bar maid nodded and took her leave to make the order.

"Anyways…" the celestial mage started, "How any dragon-slayer manages to feed himself _and_ pay his bills each month is beyond me."

Laxus chuckled, before responding, "When you're as experienced as I am, sweetheart, you learn to _control_ your magic energy output. Spending too much energy at once means having to stuff your face on a regular basis. But that seems to be a concept your idiot partner fails to grasp."

"Experienced..." Lucy repeated quietly snorting. "Now you sound like an old man."

"Or a sex God", he retorted, winking. "Whatever suits your fancy."

Lucy was quick to curl her lip in disgust.

' _He WOULD say something like that. Stupid jerk. But I guess I DO owe him a thank you for his help last night. Suck it up, Lucy! Just do it already!'_

"So, ah, Laxus…"

Laxus looked at her expectantly, a blank expression written across his face.

"You ran off so quickly last night. I didn't get a chance to thank you for rescuing me. So… Thank you."

A faint smile played at the corners of the dragon-slayer's mouth, "You're welcome, but I just did what any decent wizard would have done."

' _Great! Now that that's out of the way…'_

Lucy smiled back. Her thanks was delivered just in time for Mirajane to bring her the breakfast she ordered.

"There you go, Lucy. Enjoy!" said the bar-maid, placing the plate on the counter in front of her.

"Great!" Lucy was about to pay for her meal and leave to join the others when a booming voice came from the second floor of the guild, "Gather around kids! I've got something important to say!"

It was master Makarov.

The busy rumbling of excited guild members quickly settled down upon his request.

Makarov climbed up onto the bannister and continued, "One year ago today, wizards from all over Fiore came together to fend off the dragons that passed through Zeref's Eclipse Gate. With teamwork and perseverance, we were able to force the seven beasts back through the gates and into the distant past. If it were not for the cooperation of numerous guilds, and the commitment of the affiliated guild members, it is safe to say that we would not be here today."

The master had every guild members' undivided attention and he gazed down upon his 'children' lovingly.

"I want each of you to remember that the bonds that you have formed here in Fairy Tail, and the friendships you've made which will always be the backbone of this guild, providing you with hope and the strength to be successful in your endeavors. We are a family here, and I look forward to seeing you all continue to grow as wizards and proud members of Fairy Tail."

Lucy could see many guild-mates exchange glances with one another; each member beaming with pride.

"I am honored to be your guild master, and it is with great pleasure that I announce that in two days time the first annual Eclipse Gate anniversary party will take place under this very roof!" He pointed to the ceiling with a huge grin on his face.

The guild hall erupted with cheers and hoots as people reveled at the news.

"Time to get my drink on!" Cana hollered over the noise. She thrust a beer mug into the air, spilling half its contents on the wooden floors.

Lucy looked over her shoulder to see Mirajane shake her head in quiet disapproval. "With a guild as lively as ours, it feels like there's a party here every day…" Mira giggled before grabbing another glass mug to start polishing.

"True, but this could be kinda fun", an optimistic Lucy suggested. The barmaid nodded in agreement.

Laxus snorted and from the corner of her eye Lucy saw him put his headphones back over his ears.

"Here's some money, Mira. Thanks for the grub", the blonde woman said, slapping a handful of jewels on the counter.

"You're very welcome!" Mira sang.

Lucy grabbed her food, rose from her stool, and stepped over to Laxus who had placed his headphones back on. Then, tugging one side of his headphone from his ear, Lucy spoke "Your breakfast is my treat this morning." Laxus shifted his head to look over at Lucy. She was only inches away from his face and she was smirking, "Will you accept your breakfast as a token of my _undying_ gratitude?"

The dragon-slayer was obviously caught off guard, as his eyes widened, and mouth parted slightly in surprise, but she didn't give him a chance to reply before she headed off to meet her teammates.

"Well, well, _well_...", Laxus mumbled to himself, a smile creeping over his signature scowl. "What a cheeky little thing, you're proving to be, Blondie."

* * *

When Lucy reached the table at the corner of the guild, she took a seat between Lisanna and Gray since it was the only spot available. The moment she sat down, Natsu was at her side, eager to pluck what he could from her plate, but she ignored him for the time being.

"Hey. So what was that all about?" Gray questioned. Juvia was glaring daggers at Lucy from behind him, but Lucy wasn't bothered, as she was used to this kind of reaction from the water mage.

"What?" Lucy asked. Just as Natsu reached for her toast, she slapped his hand away on instinct, earning him a groan of disappointment.

Gray raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "Seriously?"

"You're a man, Lucy!" Elfman bellowed, raising his hand up for a high-five.

Lucy reciprocated before asking, "Okay. And why is that?"

Happy waddled over to her on the table and looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "For talking to Laxus. Duh."

"I don't think I've ever had a full conversation with the guy since I joined Fairy Tail", Elfman muttered.

Erza smiled warmly and smacked Lucy's shoulder as a friendly gesture. "And here you are, only two years in and chatting up a storm with the guy."

Lisanna placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Now that you mention it, I've only talked to him a couple of times myself. And even then, he only spoke to me in incomplete, mostly one-word sentences."

"Same here", added Gray. "But his attitude doesn't exactly scream 'talk to me', so I've never really put in an effort to converse with him unless it's important."

Elfman snorted, "Yeah no kidding. Then again, if I had that much power I'd probably be off brooding in a corner too."

"Oh, come on!" Natsu berated. "Laxus is awesome! He looks tough and all, but he's a good guy! Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'don't judge a cover by the size of its book'?"

Everyone aside from Natsu sweat-dropped at his gross misunderstanding of the phrase.

"I believe the expression is, 'don't judge a book by its cover'", corrected Juvia flatly, her gaze fixed lovingly on Gray.

"Idiot", mumbled Gray as he shook his head.

"What did you say?" the fire dragon-slayer growled. He got up from the other side of their table and walked toward the ice mage.

Gray yawned for effect and replied, "I said you're an idiot."

Flames erupted around Natsu and he clenched his fists angrily, "Just who do you think you are, calling me dumb? At least I'm not some loser low-life half-naked pervert!"

It was Gray's turn to get up from the table, wearing only his underwear. He pressed his forehead against Natsu's and they glared menacingly at one another. "Those are big words coming from a dried up piece of ash for brains! Call me pervert ONE MORE TIME. I dare you!"

"Here we go again", sighed Carla, clearly not amused by this behavior. Wendy giggled at the predictability of her friends. An argument between Natsu and Gray was a routine that she had become accustomed to since joining the guild.

In a split second, Erza was beside them, smashing their heads against one another in a disciplinary manner. "That's enough!" she scolded, re-quipping a particularly large sword from her collection. She pointed the weapon at Natsu and Gray, her face hidden behind a shadow of rage. "We are trying to have a nice conversation here! Considering the two of you ruined my breakfast, the least you can do is allow the rest of us to talk in relative peace. One more peep and I will cut you down. Is that understood?"

"Yes m'am!" the rivals replied dryly. They were each rubbing their heads in a useless attempt to dull the pain that she had inflicted on them.

"Good."

As soon as Erza walked back to the table, Juvia ran over to Gray and threw her arms around him. "Don't worry, darling! Love heals all wounds!" she cooed.

A visible shiver rolled up Gray's spine, which was bizarre considering he specialized in ice magic. "Thanks, but I'm fine", he replied, desperately prying Juvia's arms off of his top-naked body. "And besides that, I can take care of myself."

Juvia melted into a puddle on the floor and dribbled over to the corner, behind a pillar where she whimpered silently over another rejection.

Erza sat back down beside Elfman who trembled nervously at her return. "Now where were we?"

Lisanna spoke up, "Something about Laxus."

"Ahh, yes", the redhead replied, smiling. "So Lucy has made a new friend."  
 ** _  
_** _'Apparently she's back to her normal self, whatever that might be.'_

"Friends?" Lucy scoffed. "I wouldn't say that. We're barely even acquaintances. I just thanked him for helping me last night, that's all."

Erza shot up from her seat once again, and leapt across the table to stand next to Lucy. "Helping you?" she repeated, her voice and face both stern.

Lucy trembled slightly and leaned away from her friend, "Yeah?"

In the blink of an eye, the redhead's demeanor changed completely as she hunched over to speak privately to Lucy. Erza's eyes were narrowed and her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. "He 'helped you'? Lucy, I had no idea that you and Laxus were a thing!" she whispered excitedly.

The celestial mage paled for a moment before turning completely red.

Erza nudged Lucy's side playfully and winked, "You naughty girl!"

"It's nothing like that!" the blonde hissed, waving her arms around frantically.

"Why is she naughty?" Elfman asked naively. "Did she prank the Master or something?"

Lisanna and Wendy looked equally confused, having only heard the last bit of Erza and Lucy's conversation.

"No! I'm not going out with anyone, and I didn't prank anyone! Jeez!" Lucy blurted.

"Relax, I was only teasing", snorted Erza mischievously as she wandered back to the other side of the table.

"So what really happened last night? How did Laxus help you?" asked Wendy.

Everyone at the table leaned in to hear the story that she was hoping that she wouldn't have to tell. They stared at her expectantly, each pair of eyes wide with curiosity.

Lucy sighed.

 _'Here goes nothing.'_

When she had finished sharing the story of the previous night's encounter, all of the women gasped.

"Lucy, you shouldn't have been wandering around alone at night!" Erza scolded. "Especially when you knew your magic was depleted."

Lisanna nodded, and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "You need to be more careful when you go out on solo missions."

Lucy smiled back at her friends, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. Obviously, I didn't think that I'd get hounded by riffraff on my way home." She was thankful to have such caring friends.

"You're so lucky that Laxus was there to save you", said Wendy. Her brow was furrowed in distress.

"What a man!" Elfman cut in. He was energetically pumping his fists into the air. "Rescuing women is the definition of manly!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at his obvious enthusiasm. "Sure."

"What I want to know is what Laxus was doing in that area of town in the first place. Was he following you? Or was he just in the right place at the right time?" muttered Erza, placing an armored thumb to her chin in thought.

 _'Thank you, Erza! Nice to know that I'm not the only one over thinking things.'_

Happy, who was eating a fish, paused momentarily to speak, "It's because he looooooves her."

 _'Oh God. That stupid punchline is getting old.'_

"Shut up, you dumb cat!" Lucy snarled.

Happy only chuckled in response before he continued to munch on his fish.

"Whatever the reasons, we're just lucky to have you here with us today" said Lisanna, beaming.

Lucy smiled back, "Thanks."

"Indeed", added Erza, nodding. Then, suddenly her eyes lit up. "The _party_!"

They all looked at her in both surprise and confusion. "I need to pick out a dress! It has to be adorable, but not too frilly, sexy but not too scandalous! Ohhh, there are so many options!" Her face was glowing, and her eyes sparkled with passion.

"I'd already forgotten about the party", laughed Wendy. "All this talk about stalkers."

"I must make preparations!" the redhead chimed. "I take my leave, but I'll be sure to stop by each of your houses to approve of your attire before the dance." She pointed to each of the girls at the table and Juvia. "Everyone. Must. Look. Fantastic!" Her last words were edgy and demanding.

And with that, Erza took off, disappearing in a random cloud of dust. Gray and Natsu relaxed their shoulders and heaved a sigh of relief while Juvia continued to snivel in the corner, a dark shadow looming behind her.

Lucy sipped her smoothie, "Well, I guess I better find something acceptable to wear tomorrow night. I wouldn't want to disappoint _that._.." She used her head to gesture in the general direction that Erza had ran.

"What will happen if Erza doesn't like the dress I pick?" Wendy shivered, uncertain if she wanted to know the answer.

Lisanna replied nervously, "Don't worry, Wendy! Everything will be fine."

"Tsk. As if it wasn't enough that she scared the crap out people in battle-mode, but now she's got us shaking in our boots over a dress", said Lucy with a crooked smile. "That takes serious skill!"

The three women chuckled lightly, leaving the boys looking both clueless and perplexed.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** _Hey guys and gals! So sorry it took so long for this chapter to be posted... I'll be completely honest when I say it was a real struggle to get through this particular chapter, as it's a much slower, transitional chapter. That, and I've been pretty busy with my university courses (*gags*) Anyways... Hope you like! Please read and review! I love reading your comments!_

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

* * *

 **~Lucy's POV~ (Two days later...)**

"I don't even know where to start…" mumbled Wendy, slumping over in premature defeat.

"Come on! Don't give up yet. There are plenty of dresses for us to look through", replied Cana, patting Wendy's shoulder. The dragon-slayer's nose wrinkled when she caught the scent of booze off Cana's breath.

"Yeah, we'll find you something to wear", added Lucy with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks you guys", said the dragon-slayer, cheering up a little.

The three mages made a stop at a local clothes shop to find some party dresses for the upcoming celebration.

Lucy placed a finger to her chin in thought, "I'm thinking that we should look for something that will compliment your hair colour. Maybe something in a shade of green?"

Wendy nodded, and pointed to the back end of the store, "Okay, I'll start over there."

"Hey, if you girls see something you like, give me a shout. I gotta give my two cents, ya know", said the brunette, winking mischievously as she turned heel towards the nearest clothes rack.

Lucy found her own rack and started rifling through the hangers, careful to keep an eye out for anything green. She was about halfway through her search when something sparkly caught her attention.

' _What's this?'_

She grabbed the hanger off the rack to inspect the garment further. It was a sweetheart dress made from navy blue satin sprinkled with tiny flecks of gold sparkles that shimmered through the sheer blue overlay. Lucy held the dress up into the light and was briefly reminded of twinkling stars in the night sky.

"Pretty…" she whispered to herself.

 _'And it's my size, to boot!'_

"What's pretty?" asked Wendy, poking her head around from behind Lucy. "Oh, wow! That's beautiful!"

"It is", replied Lucy. She glanced down at the price tag and sighed, "It's also _way_ too expensive."

"There's no harm in trying it on though, right?" insisted Wendy, peering up at her surrogate big-sister.

"Yeah. Come on, girl!" added Cana as she joined her companions. She smacked Lucy's bum enthusiastically and took a swig from a liquor flask that she'd stashed in her purse. "Take it for a test drive!"

"Fine…" Lucy conceded. Then, grumbling under her breath, she locked herself into a change stall.

As she was stripping, she heard Wendy gasp, "You can't wear that!"

"No?" replied Cana with a drunken slur. There was a pause, likely a moment of thought, before she replied, "You're right. It's too conservative."

" _Conservative?!_ It's three strips of hot pink leather!"

Cana started laughing, "You're cute, you know that?"

Lucy snickered quietly, carefully stepping out of her jean shorts.

' _Typical Cana. She's never been one for subtlety.'_

"You know, I've been wondering… Why isn't little miss kitty out with us today?" the brunette asked her smaller friend. "You two are usually attached at the hip."

Lucy pondered as she continued to eavesdrop and disrobe at the same time.

' _Oh yeah! Where IS Carla?"_

Wendy groaned, "We had an argument last night… Carla wanted me to skip the party and take another job instead." The dragon-slayer proceeded to clear her throat to prep for her best Carla impersonation, "This is clearly a party for mature individuals, child, and you certainly don't fit the bill!"

The blonde continued to listen in and heard Cana grunt, "Seriously? It's a celebration, a party for EVERYONE, including you."

 _'Tsk, Carla can be a real stick-in-the-mud.'_

"I know that, but she doesn't seem to see it that way. And what really ticks me off is how she's always talking to me like I'm a kid. I'm going to be 14 years old this year, so I really don't need a babysitter anymore..."

"I wouldn't take it personally, Wendy. She's over-protective towards you, that's all. Just give her some time to cool off. I'm sure you two will make up by the end of the night, so don't worry too much about it", the brunette added quickly.

"Maybe…" Wendy mumbled.

"Hey, are you done in there?" Cana barked impatiently, turning her attention back to Lucy. "Let's see the goods!"

"Yes, please show us!" added Wendy in a much friendlier tone.

Lucy slipped the dress over her head, "I'm almost done!"

She zipped herself up, smoothed out some slight wrinkles in the fabric and opened the change room door.

Both Cana and Wendy stared at her wide-eyed.

"Well? What do you think?" Lucy asked, feeling a little embarrassed. She hadn't even looked at herself in the mirror yet.

"Holy. Shit", said Cana before holding her arm out and giving Lucy a thumbs up. "You look hot as hell, girl!"

Wendy was glowing with admiration and walked up to her older friend. "Lucy, you're gorgeous!"

"Yeah?" mumbled the reluctant blonde.

Wendy turned Lucy around so she could see the reflection behind her.

' _Oh, wow!'_

For a while, she just stared at herself straight-faced and silent while her friends continued with the compliments.

' _This dress is amazing. I actually feel really pretty...'_

Lucy's face softened, with butterflies in her stomach fluttering eagerly as she revelled in the moment, for that's exactly what it was; a moment. After all, as stunning as it was, there was no way she could possibly afford to buy the dress.

Then, almost as quickly as they'd appeared, the butterflies vanished, her heart aching with disappointment.

' _This is exactly why I didn't want to try anything on. But I still willingly walked into the trap…'_

"So, I'm going to go take this off now", the blonde said suddenly, turning back towards the change room.

"Lucy?" the dragon-slayer called, her brows furrowed.

The celestial mage looked over her shoulder and held her hand up in reassurance. "We still have to find some dresses for you two!"

"Okay…" Wendy replied quietly.

"Yes, let's get our sexy on!" added Cana, taking another swig. "I want to wear something tight, short, and preferably not see-through. But... I'm pretty flexible."

Wendy sweat-dropped, chuckling anxiously.

"You got it!" replied Lucy, with a forced smile. She closed the change room door behind her, and proceeded to undress once more.

* * *

Later on, in Wendy's room at Fairy Hills dormitories, she and Lucy worked to beautify themselves before heading over to the guild for the Eclipse party.

"All done!" announced Lucy.

She spun Wendy around to face the full-length mirror in her room. The dragon-slayer's mouth opened in astonishment, "Woah... I hardly recognize myself!" Her long blue hair was pulled up in a high pony tail with two loose strands hanging from either side of her face. She was wearing a knee-length emerald green dress with wide shoulder straps. The fabric was decorated with pretty silver beading, and to finish the look, there was a cute black satin bow tied neatly below her would-be bust line.

"Wendy, you look adorable!"

"You think so?" Wendy asked. Her expression was one of uncertainty. "I just hope Erza likes my outfit."

"There's nothing to worry about. You look great!"

Wendy nodded, and nibbled her bottom lip anxiously.

Lucy picked her duffel bag up from the floor and started towards the ensuite, "I'll be right back. I'm just going to fix my hair and change into something a little less… casual."

"Okay!"

Closing the door behind her, Lucy unzipped her bag and pulled out a simple grey summer dress. It wasn't anything special, and not particularly flattering, but it was the best thing she had to wear for the occasion.

Once she was dressed, she turned to the bathroom mirror and started weaving her hair into a single side braid that rested neatly over her right shoulder.

When she was somewhat content with her appearance, Lucy opened the door to walk back into the bedroom.

The moment she saw what was laid out on the bedcovers, her heart stopped and she brought her hands to her face in shock.

The orange glow of the evening sunset shone through the bedroom window, casting light onto the shimmery navy dress that she'd tried on in the store earlier that day.

 _'It's THE dress…'_

"I… I don't understand", Lucy whispered in confusion.

Wendy put her hands together in mock-prayer and stared up at Lucy with big brown puppy-dog eyes, "Please don't be upset! I just _had_ to buy it for you!"

Lucy walked over to the bed and brushed a hand across the soft fabric of the dress, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"But why?" she asked.

"Lucy, you're the big sister that I never had and because you've done so much for Carla and I over the past year, I wanted to give you a gift, so please accept it!" Wendy spoke in rush.

 _'Jeez, she's really not giving me any wiggle room to argue.'_

The blonde's shoulders started to shake, the tears almost ready to fall.

"Aw, don't cry! I really want you to wear it tonight", said Wendy, resting her head on Lucy's shoulder to comfort her.

Lucy twisted around to pull the dragon-slayer into a great big hug.

"Thank you…" she sniffed. "I love it."

Wendy's eyes closed as she nestled her head gently on Lucy's chest. "You're welcome", she said, her voice muffled.

After a few moments of embrace, the two separated.

"You should probably go change now", suggested the blunette. "We have to leave soon."

Lucy took a deep breath to collect herself before replying, "You're right."

And with that, she carefully picked the dress up from the bed and returned to the bathroom, her face flush with joy.

' _That girl… She's such a sweetheart. But she's not going to get away with it so easily.'_

She rifled through her duffel bag and grabbed her newly purchased bracelet from the side pocket.

When she changed into the new dress and finished her makeup, Lucy walked out with her head held high.

"Yep. Just as amazing as I remember!" Wendy said, smiling.

Lucy blushed before signalling for her friend to come closer with a wave of her hand.

Wendy walked over to the celestial mage, tilting her head with curiosity, "What's up?"

Once Lucy got hold of Wendy's arm, the blonde opened her free palm to reveal the sparkling bracelet.

The dragon-slayer's eyes widened. "Oh, Lucy! You don't have to. I-"

The celestial mage placed a finger to her lips to quiet her companion. She winked before moving Wendy's arm closer so she could clip the sparkling bracelet around her tiny wrist, "You're right, I don't have to. But I _want_ to. You see, I grew up as an only child, and I feel the same way as you... That is, you're like a little sister to me."

Wendy's brow furrowed.

"Besides", Lucy finished, "It matches your dress much better than it does mine."

Once the bracelet was secured, Wendy looked down to admire the new piece of jewelry as it twinkled in the fading light. Then, she looked up at her and blushed, "Thanks so much, Lucy! It's so lovely..."

Lucy smiled back and affectionately placed a hand on Wendy's head, careful not avoid messing up her hair. "Then it suits you perfectly."

 **KNOCK! KNOCK!**

A knock at the door startled the girls and they jumped in surprise. "Wendy, it's Erza. Are you ready to go?" a stern voice called through the door.

"Y-yes! Just a minute!" Wendy stuttered. She scrambled to the door, her hands shaking wildly as she slowly turned the handle to open it.

In the doorway stood a beautiful woman adorning a sleek plum-coloured dress. It was long and very sexy with a high slit at the side, revealing a tasteful amount of leg.

"Ouuu", Wendy cooed, clearly impressed by Erza's evening attire.

Erza beamed proudly and then she noticed that Wendy was not alone. "Oh, hello, Lucy! I didn't expect to see you here. Excellent, I was on to your place next. This should save us some time! Now I can kill two birds with one stone."

" _Kill_?" Wendy squeaked, visibly shaken by Erza's choice of words.

" _Wow_ ", said Lucy, eyebrows raised in awe. "You're gorgeous!"

Erza's hair was down and wavy, and shimmering beads mingled with the fancy ruching at her bustline. She angled her body so that they could see the back of her dress which was just as stunning as the front. The silver beading reached around to form a unique strapping pattern that revealed most of her slender back.

"You have amazing taste, Erza!" said the dragon-slayer, having overcome her momentary distress.

"Thank you, Wendy, Lucy. Normally I wouldn't make a spectacle of myself, but tonight seemed to be a suitable exception. After all, this _is_ an important guild function, and it's only proper that I represent Fairy Tail to the very best of my ability."

' _She normally doesn't make a spectacle of herself? I call bullshit.'_

"Well, I'm definitely impressed!" said Lucy.

Suddenly a look of mischief crossed her face and she narrowed her eyes. Then, creeping up close to Erza Lucy nudged her in the side with an elbow. "So, that fact that Jellal will be a guest at the party has absolutely nothing to do with your sexy ensemble?"

The red-head's face lit up like a candle, heat waves emanating from her body. "Uhhh… Well, of course not! In fact, I had no idea that he'd be there. What a spectacular coincidence!" she stammered.

' _She's not fooling anyone.'_

"Whatever you say", giggled the blonde. "So, what do you think?" She twirled around more than enthusiastically.

Erza's face straightened into one of grave seriousness. Lucy and Wendy glanced at one another as they anxiously awaited Titania's verdict. Then, Erza's eyes sparkled with inspiration and she clapped her hands together in excitement.

"You two look absolutely fantastic!" she marveled, her voice a little higher pitched than normal.

"Thank goodness!" Wendy hunched forward, braced her weight on her thighs and heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought you might punish us for not dressing to your tastes."

"Are you kidding? You _hardly_ deserve punishment. You have my whole-hearted approval!" She smiled at them.

"Did you say punishment, Princess?" Virgo flickered into sight, bowing at her master, and giving Erza a clear view of the maid's panties. Acting rather flustered, Titania coughed and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

"No, Virgo, _I_ did not mention punishment… You can go back now…" Lucy muttered.

"As you wish, Princess. But before I go…" Virgo snapped her fingers and a beautiful golden star-shaped pin appeared from thin-air. "This will go perfect with your dress." She leaned towards Lucy and placed the pin in her hair on the opposite side of the braid.

"Thank you, Virgo", said Lucy appreciatively.

"You're very welcome", Virgo replied. She bowed at her master again, "Until next time, Princess!" And just as quickly as she had appeared, the maid vanished in a ripple of gold.

"Your spirits have an interesting choice in underwear, Lucy. Do they model their style after you?" Erza asked, cheeks aglow.

Lucy gasped, "What! No! I don't have any say in what spirits choose to wear. Virgo picks out her own costumes!"

Wendy was blushing furiously at the conversation topic while Erza had an inspired twinkle in her eye. She placed a finger to her chin, "Really? Too bad. The next time you call on Virgo, remind me to ask her where she shops."

Lucy sweat-dropped.

' _In the only place she CAN shop: the spirit world…'_

But she wasn't about to argue with the terrifying Titania and conceded willingly, "Yeah, sure thing."

"Alright then. Now that we're all ready to go, let us make haste. The night is young, after all!" Erza cheered, turning heel to head out of the building and towards the guild.

With Erza's back to them, Wendy and Lucy turned to each other and chuckled. "Yes, m'am!" they replied in unison.

The blonde slipped her feet into a pair of sexy black 6-inch heels and strapped her celestial keys to her thigh like a garter belt. She was mindful to bring them with her everywhere she went now, and since the alleyway incident a few days earlier, she consciously monitored and maintained healthy magic reserves with hopes that she'd never be caught in a situation like that ever again.

Once her keys were secure, the blonde slowly started out of the dorm room and enthusiastically hollered, "Let's go have some fun, girls!"

"I'm right behind you, Lucy", Wendy chortled, grinning with delight.

And with that, the three ladies left the building and headed towards the Fairy Tail guild.


	5. UPDATE!

Hello readers!

So I finished my final exams last month. But I found out that after 6 years of schooling and a $40, 000 debt, I did NOT get into my teaching program in September 2016… The program for 2017 has been cancelled due to changes and in 2018 it will be a whole new program with totally different pre-requisites of which I will NO longer be able qualified for… So, needless to say I'm having a really rough time. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life now… I don't want to be in retail forever, but most of the jobs that interest me require schooling, and I no longer have the time or money to start a new degree… Anyways, that's what's been happening to me, and also my excuse for not having written anything further for this fan fic that I love so much. Since I now have a LOT of spare time, I'm hoping to occupy myself with hobbies to keep my mind from going back to my school failure. Thanks for being patient with me, I really appreciate it!

Also, please check out my poll (I believe there's a link in my profile)!


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